[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 115 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6646-S6648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                IDAHOANS SPEAK OUT ON HIGH ENERGY PRICES

  Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, in mid-June, I asked Idahoans to share with 
me how high energy prices are affecting their lives, and they responded 
by the hundreds. The stories, numbering over 1,000, are heartbreaking 
and

[[Page S6647]]

touching. To respect their efforts, I am submitting every e-mail sent 
to me through [email protected] .gov to the Congressional 
Record. This is not an issue that will be easily resolved, but it is 
one that deserves immediate and serious attention, and Idahoans deserve 
to be heard. Their stories not only detail their struggles to meet 
everyday expenses but also have suggestions and recommendations as to 
what Congress can do now to tackle this problem and find solutions that 
last beyond today. I ask unanimous consent to have today's letters 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

       Like many other single parents out there, we have to 
     commute to work for better-paying jobs and cannot take public 
     transportation because they won't stop at daycare and the 
     store on the way home from work. So, yes, like every family, 
     whether single or not, you have to drive and cannot ride your 
     bike, but give me a break. And tell me why the airlines are 
     now charging a $75 escort fee for your child under 12 flying 
     alone (it was $30 last year), and this is to walk them from 
     the counter to the plane. Tell me how much gas does that use? 
     And their reason for increased cost is the fuel prices. So 
     that is $150 round trip to walk from the counter to the plane 
     on top of the airline charge. What is going to be the next 
     excuse--charging to use the restroom during the flight?
       I seriously believe this is going to extremely out of hand 
     before it gets any better. And is anyone going to do anything 
     about all of this? I do not think so!!!
           Thank you,
     Tracy, Star.
                                  ____

       Dear Senator Crapo, When gas hit $2 a gallon, my husband 
     and I agreed that neither of us expected the price to ever go 
     below $2 and that the price would continue to increase 
     because of increased demand from China and India and the Iraq 
     war. In 2006, we traded in a mid-80s Saturn and bought a 
     Toyota Prius because of its gas mileage. As the price of gas 
     continued to increase, my husband bought a scooter to commute 
     to work whenever the weather is dry. The scooter gets 90+ 
     miles to the gallon. Being a stay-at-home mom for a while 
     with our daughter, I consolidate errands into a single trip 
     whenever I can and handle as many things as I can over the 
     telephone. Gas is now over $4 a gallon (. . . diesel is 
     almost $5!), but everyday I still see huge shiny pickup 
     trucks and SUVs driven by solo drivers commuting to work.
       Would I like gas to be cheaper? Sure, but it is not 
     reasonable to expect that it is going to happen any time 
     soon. Domestic oil reserves cannot be developed quickly 
     enough for us to seriously depend on that strategy. We must 
     reduce demand and become more efficient.
       Our grandparents and parents supported the war effort by 
     reducing their personal consumption of oil, metal, clothing 
     and food (among other items). Why do our leaders (you!) 
     insist that citizens are unable to rise to the occasion and 
     change our consumption?
       Do I support destroying the Alaskan wilderness so my fellow 
     Idahoans can commute in SUV's? No!
       Do I support fighting wars over oil so we can go water 
     skiing and speed boating at Lucky Peak? No!
       Do I support subsidizing and coddling the American car 
     industry which has stubbornly refused to offer fuel efficient 
     cars? No!
       If Boise had a light rail system, would we use it to visit 
     family and run errands in Meridian, Nampa and Caldwell? You 
     bet!
       Senator Crapo, please be a leader who does not ask citizens 
     to wallow in anger and pity. Establish your leadership and 
     vision around responsible use and investment in the future!
           Best regards,
     Kimberly, Boise.
                                  ____

       Dear Mr. Crapo: Thank you so much for trying to fight this 
     battle for us. I do not think there is a family in the U.S. 
     that is not being affected by our high fuel costs. For many 
     of us, we have long considered our fuel as a necessity but 
     with the prices we now are paying, it is becoming a luxury!
       My husband and I are getting close to retirement, so we 
     have been trying to plan and save for that time. With these 
     fuel charges, I will have to reduce my 401K payments because 
     I drive 25 miles to work each day. Sure, I could try and buy 
     a smaller car to reduce my fuel bill, but my car is fairly 
     new and paid for and it does not seem economically feasible 
     to trade it in and start making payments on a smaller car.
       No, we won't go without food or shelter, but we will be 
     tightening our belts on other aspects of our lives. Our 
     Saturday drives, date nights, and trips to visit our 
     grandkids will be greatly reduced. These are the things that 
     we have worked hard to achieve and enjoy and now will not be 
     able to do so.
       I greatly encourage our country to begin using our own 
     resources. Domestic drilling and refining is the answer. 
     Sure, I care about the environment and harming wildlife, but 
     I care more about the human aspect of this crisis. Our human 
     way life has become harmed. Why aren't the environmentalists 
     worrying about that? With technology what it is today, there 
     are fewer chances of oil spills or environmental issues. I 
     also know that, with our technology, it will not take eight 
     to ten years to get this oil into production. I think we need 
     to begin drilling in ANWR and off the coast of California 
     immediately.
       As a citizen I will do my part to help with energy 
     conservation but I also expect our legislatures to step up 
     and do their part and stop being controlled by special 
     interest environmentalists.
       Thank you once again for your efforts.
     Jeannette, Idaho Falls.
                                  ____

       As seniors on a pension and Social Security, I think we are 
     among the hardest hit. I think it is criminal that neither 
     energy nor food is included in the COLA. It is going to be a 
     long time before these prices come down and I think it is 
     time the COLA is based on something a little more realistic. 
     We cannot live without either one of these items. Also living 
     in rural Idaho, we do not have any public transportation. I 
     truly think the government would just as soon that we would 
     all die off so they do not have to deal with us.
     Donna.
                                  ____

       Dear Senator Mike Crapo: If you really care about one of 
     the most crippling economic problems facing our nation, it is 
     the impact of the greed of the oil industry infrastructure.
       The racketeering (oh, well, what else should I call it?) of 
     the oil industry is having massive inflationary impact on 
     this nation, severely damaging this nations transportation 
     system. The ripple effects will be far-reaching and crippling 
     over the long term. Damage to the transportation 
     infrastructure with loss of service through airline cutbacks, 
     will have long term impact on the entire travel industry, in 
     turn impacting the entire economy. Fewer flights and fewer 
     airline routes (and bankrupt carriers) require less 
     airplanes, impacting aircraft production (loss of airplane 
     orders and jobs at Boeing), resulting in fewer jobs, and 
     fewer hours worked. Resultant higher ticket prices make 
     discretionary travel (vacations) less affordable impacting 
     hotels, motels, theme parks, rental cars, etc. Look further 
     still and it not hard to visualize the massive ripple: less 
     hotel and motel supplies purchased, restaurant food, new 
     automobiles for the rental car industry, etc.
       The airline industry, trucking, farming, plastics (and 
     other products reliant on petrochemicals) and food production 
     are all suffering from the unchecked corporate oil industry 
     greed. Greed that only promises to worsen, as the oil 
     industry blackmails us with obvious threat of higher prices 
     without access to protected areas for drilling. Yet they 
     actually do nothing too relieve the bottlenecks nor improve 
     their existing production infrastructure. Nor is it a short 
     term solution. They claim investment, in what, additional 
     tracts of land to grow their holdings, and exploration, to 
     lock in future production, but provide no meaningful major 
     expenditure that has improved current production that is of 
     benefit to the American consumer. When was the last new 
     refinery opened, or the old existing infrastructure 
     modernized, unless required by regulation, or replacement due 
     to industrial accident or breakdown? The number of 
     competitors has shrunk thru buyouts and mergers over the 
     years, serving to destroy the competitive market, and pricing 
     at the pump, is nothing short of collusion, thinly veiled as 
     competitive free market pricing. And the oil industry gets 
     wiser on how to game the congress and the people. And you sit 
     still for it!
       We need very badly the long term solutions you speak of, 
     however, we need action now with a high priority placed on 
     bringing a cessation to the greed based damage to this 
     nations economy and the severe economic burden being endured 
     by the voters you elected officials collectively represent.
       If it is bad now, think of the winter heating bill citizens 
     in the nation's cold climate will shortly face when winter is 
     once again upon us.
       So vital is this industry to our nation's economy, it is 
     past time to regulate it! I repeat, it is past time to 
     regulate the oil industry!
       Our government regulates electricity, natural gas, and 
     telephone infrastructure, and the FCC TV & radio. How is the 
     oil industry any different? How is the oil dependency/
     infrastructure of this nation less vital? They are no longer 
     serving this nation's interest in a responsible manner, have 
     made a complete mockery of congressional investigations (with 
     the aid of some members of congress), and basically have the 
     United States of America over a barrel!
       A good place to start would be to make speculation illegal 
     (dealing through third party brokers & traders illegal. If a 
     person/company does not actually physically handle the actual 
     product, it should be made illegal to profit from it by 
     brokering or speculation.).
       How many airlines have to fold, how many truckers go under, 
     and how much unnecessary inflation must this nation endure 
     before our elected (for now) officials really do something 
     meaningful? It is said oil is higher due to the shrinking 
     dollar. Oil has driven the dollar down and is a major player 
     in our current inflation. It impacts the United States, it 
     ripples thru the world.
       Have you asked yourselves why the voters think less of our 
     elected officials (per polls) than our President? Are you 
     really happy with that?
       Your email implies you care. Then prove it to the voters 
     you represent. Start the Congress on a path to put control 
     and regulation

[[Page S6648]]

     on [the oil] industry so very vital to the nation's economy 
     and infrastructure.
       How long must we wait for Congress to stop the ongoing 
     damage to our dollar, cost of living (including food), and 
     our transportation infrastructure? What could be more 
     important to both the short-term and long-term wellbeing of 
     this country and its citizens in your list of priorities?
       On another but still related issue, where is this nation's 
     long range planning? If I might cite an example; Japan after 
     WWII as a nation set its sights on consumer electronics and 
     the automobile. Look where they are today with those 
     technologies and look at our once proud auto industry, now a 
     cripple. Kennedy pointed this nation toward the moon--within 
     ten years. It was a national plan and a priority. What are 
     this nation's long-term goals? Do you know? Why do not we the 
     people know?
       These items should rise above petty politics. They should 
     be without party ownership and bickering. And a declaration 
     of persona non grata made toward the oil lobby and their 
     bought and paid for elected officials.
       Thank you for asking for my story, but it is really a much 
     larger story than my story; it is our story.
     John.
                                  ____

       Dear Senator Crapo: It is good to hear from you and know 
     that at least one politician in Washington has their head on 
     straight. Thank you for representing those of us who do not 
     buy the ``man-caused global warming'' hoax. I believe it is a 
     natural cycle the earth has gone thru many times before and 
     will continue to undergo.
       I believe all Americans want clean air, water and a healthy 
     environment which can all be accomplished while 
     simultaneously drilling in ANWAR, off coast regions and 
     exploring other natural resources available domestically.
           Sincerely,
     Mike, Emmett.
                                  ____

       Dear Senator Crapo: Thank you for the opportunity to 
     provide input on what I think is the most important issue we 
     should have faced at least twenty years ago. Yet, I know that 
     mustering the political will to make the changes we needed to 
     make would have been very difficult then. Nonetheless, here 
     we are in 2008 and, being Americans, we will face this crisis 
     with intelligence and determination.
       Frankly, I put the rising prices into this perspective. I 
     drive a Hyundai Accent and average about 34 mpg and drive 
     about 11,000 miles per year. So, I buy about 325 gallons 
     annually. Gasoline has increased $1.75 over the last short 
     while. So, on average I'm paying an additional $47 per month. 
     Sure, I'd rather spend that on something else, but that 
     really is not that bad. My wife drives our Toyota 4 Runner. 
     Her commute is short and other than that, we only use that 
     vehicle for recreation . . . about 4,000 to 5,000 miles per 
     year. Again, I can live with it.
       To my way of thinking, the increased gas prices have been a 
     blessing. It has finally brought the discussion of energy 
     management to forefront where it has needed to be for some 
     time. Not only is our economic well being at stake, but the 
     security of America as well. Were it not for oil, would we 
     have ever even heard of Saddam Hussein? And, too, we are 
     finally coming to agreement that climate change is real and 
     are showing signs that we may actually address it. If higher 
     gas prices are the cost of getting to have this discussion, 
     so be it.
       What should we do about gas prices, you ask? Nothing. 
     Market forces will bring down gas consumption which should 
     have a moderating effect on prices. People are opting for 
     more fuel efficient cars which may stimulate the auto 
     industry. And finally, I think the federal government should 
     take a more active role with our currency issues to keep the 
     dollar from falling much further. I know there is reluctance 
     to that idea, but the circumstances seem to warrant it.
           Regards,
     Pete, Boise.
                                  ____

       Dear Senator Crapo: I do not agree with your assessment 
     regarding the high price of gas. We are being gouged by the 
     oil companies, and I will prove my point.
       Oil is at about $130 a barrel. There are 42 gallons in a US 
     barrel, which equates to $3.09 a gallon for crude. Add to 
     this the price for refining say $0.40 distribution $0.25. 
     State and federal Taxes and about $0.25 a gallon a gas 
     station makes and you will see that we are already over $4 a 
     gallon.
       How do the oil companies make these massive profits every 
     quarter? In the United States, we have to import 40% of our 
     oil the other 60% comes from Alaska, Texas, California, the 
     Gulf, etc. Are we paying $130 a barrel to the oil companies 
     for oil coming out of our own back yard? You people blame 
     China and India for the cost of fuel today. For your 
     information, I have been to both countries. They do not have 
     the amount of cars we Americans have. In fact, they are a 
     bicycle society.
       I am fed up with Congress and the Senate for not taking any 
     action on this issue; in fact, President Bush is quiet on the 
     subject.
       I have always been [conservative], but I fear that this 
     coming election [conservatives will not fare well], mainly 
     due oil prices which has a ripple effect and cause 
     unemployment, rise in food prices etc. The hardest hit people 
     in out society are the old people of which I am one.
           Sincerely,
     George.
                                  ____

       Our current monthly gas budget has almost tripled with the 
     increase during the past year. With my husband working out of 
     town (300+ miles weekly commute) and I'm working for a non-
     profit that reimburses me @$.40/mile, we are going in the 
     hole. As our state representative, you and your family should 
     be feeling the same affects of the energy prices that we are, 
     and helping correct this problem. Are you?
           Respectfully,
     Marcia.
                                  ____

       Dear Senator: I am a hard-working Idahoan who has to change 
     my behavior because of high energy costs, but I also 
     understand that sometimes you have to pay the piper. Nobody 
     likes to go on a diet or take medicine. Yet in order to get 
     well, we have to do things we do not like. This is one of 
     those times. The answer to our energy problem is not to find 
     some way to ignore or go around what made us fat and sick. 
     And, I mean that quite literally. Furthermore, you know as 
     well as I do that local oil will be the same price as global 
     oil. The market price is the price regardless of where it 
     comes from. You do no favor to the public with this tactic. 
     Feel free to quote me.
     Jim.
                                  ____

       We are unable to see our children who live 500 to 1000 
     miles away due to gas prices. We are getting older and live 
     on retirement income, thus we are unable to help them out 
     with gas for making a trip to Idaho. I expect we will never 
     get to see them again.
     Robert and Peggy, Emmett.
                                  ____

       Senator Crapo for the last three years, I have been 
     traveling to Missoula, Montana, for medical treatments for 
     cancer and I had a stint placed. I was traveling every three 
     weeks for treatments and I am happy to say that the cancer is 
     in remission as of now but Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma cannot be 
     cured, it can be treated usually but not cured, and it keeps 
     coming back. I am not only faced with expenses at the Cancer 
     Center and doctor, but I have a diseased liver and they have 
     no idea why the tests are showing such high levels in the 
     tests. It seems all of this has hit more or less all at once 
     in traveling and taking the tests. I have to stay overnight 
     at times, and this, of course, creates more expenses which 
     the government or the insurance and Medicare does not cover. 
     My nest egg for retirement is getting eaten up each month, 
     and it will run out. I worry about my wife if something 
     happens to me.
       I hope that someone reads this that can help me and others 
     in the same boat. Thank you for giving me this chance to air 
     my concerns about my health and what all it is taking to 
     handle the situation so far.
           Sincerely
     George, Salmon.

                          ____________________